Funeral services for Richard Lawson, 76, of Portales, will be at 2:00 PM, Mon., July 22, 2019 at the Portales Church of God with Pastor Don Hay officiating. Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Gage Bartlett, Joel Bartlett, Jade Bartlett, Isaiah Lawson, Colby Lawson and Buddy Lawson serving as pallbearers.

Richard Lee Lawson was born Aug. 5, 1942 in Germantown, OH to the home of Ethel (Klaber) and Leonard M. Lawson and died after a lengthy illness in Clovis on Sunday, July 14, 2019. Most of Richard’s youth was spent in KY. He joined the US Army when he was 17, and served for 12 years. After his discharge he moved to Louisiana and began working in the off shore oil fields as a heavy equipment and diesel mechanic. On Jan. 10, 1983 in AL, he was married to Rebecca Lease. In Aug. of 1985, he moved to Portales when there was a lull in the oil industry. For a short time, he was employed at Borden Peanuts. He soon returned to the oil fields, and would work for extended times and then come back home for a few weeks before returning to work. In 1992 he retired from the oil fields. From then until 2013 when his health forced him to completely retire, he worked as a harvest mechanic. For enjoyment, he enjoyed hunting and fishing, but his real passion was cars. Richard was a member of the Church of God.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca of the home; his sons, Richard “Buddy” Lawson, Jr. and his wife, LaShawn of Roswell, Paul Lawson and his wife , Debbie of Ville Platte, LA, Levi Lawson of Portales and Tyler Lawson; his daughters, Saysha Lawson of Portales, Karrie Arnold and husband, Ray of Dry Prong, LA and Shayleigh Lawson of Portales; 20 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren; and three sisters, Patricia Dunfee and husband, Lou of Middletown, OH, Margaret Hedman of Shelbyville, IN and Joyce Everhart also of Shelbyville, IN. He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Eddie and Teddy Lawson and by a daughter, Laura Lawson.